Native Son Alehouse Grand Opening in DTSA

Jon Sanchez, President

Attention fellow craft beer aficionados: there is a new craft beer bar opening in Downtown Santa Ana and the Grand Opening party is tomorrow, August 9th from 12(noon) to 11pm. The place is mellow and cool and somehow managed to be minimalistic in a sea of over-designed hipster beer bars. The breezy open design coupled with a slim menu and thoughtful beer choices makes this my new favorite beer bar.

Somehow the limited choices and curated menu makes the experience a more enjoyable one, and I am not burdened by decisions. It’s just a cool spot to hang out for a few hours and enjoy a delightful Gose from Almanac or a Pale Ale from Noble Ale Works and possibly some brussel sprouts. Native has a nice mixture of approachable taps for the craft beer noob and interesting taps for the craft beer geek(snob) without committing to 100 taps handles. The chicken sandwich and brussel sprouts were the only two items on the menu and both were delicious. The chicken wasn’t dry at all and the spicy elements were stimulating without being overpowering. The brussel sprouts were slightly charred and had a very addictive quality to them. Very promising start to their menu that they anticipate adding items to very strategically.

The Chicken Sandwich and Brussel Sprouts

I had the opportunity to chat with Jon Sanchez, president of Native Son Alehouse, and gain some insight to their thought process. “The community has been great,” he gushed. “We’ve been able to pick the brains of some of the local experts on how they would do it if they were to open a bar with all the knowledge they have gained over the years.” Jon went on to say that it’s the little things like having the bartender being able to reach a glass on the furthest edge of the bar and where to put the bottle fridge that make a big difference in functionality and efficiency. Invaluable nuggets of knowledge gained, he’s eager to join the local crowd. With experience from the corporate world working for Nestle and living close to a large concentration to fantastic beer bars in San Francisco he decided to make the leap into beer. “Why not?” Jon quipped, “It’s where I would spend most of my time anyways, why not open my own place?” I noted Jon’s City Beer (a well-known and loved beer store in San Francisco).

The stairs leading to Native Son

“Where did you get the name Native Son?” I asked.”It’s because I am from this area and after moving away and then coming back, I wanted to pay homage and so I named it Native Son.” “I like it, it has a ring to it,” I replied and Jon nodded in agreement.